Managing Your Money: From the Teen’s View

As a teenager, I often find myself with a list of expenditures on my hands and not much money to pay for them with. This can cause problems, especially as life continues to get more expensive every day. This not a problem unique to me, though, but one shared by all teenagers.

In order to overcome this, though, one simply needs good money management techniques. I have always been fairly good at handling my money, even as a child. I would describe myself as a “saver, not a spender” or frugal. Either way, I have always been quick to save my money. This has made my teenage years considerably easier. Still, here are some other tricks I would recommend using as well.

Pay for everything with cash. This may seem kind of ridiculous, but it is a great way to save money. It keeps you thinking about exactly how much money you are handing over. Rather than just handing over a card, you have to physically remove the cash.

Check your bank account regularly. This will help remind you of exactly how much you do or don’t have. While this can be painful, it is the only effective way to remember everything.

Plan out your expenditures in terms of paychecks. For example, I spent $1 less than my writing paycheck this month. That means that I have spent more than usual this month, but it is also a good way to know that I am not losing money. Simply put, it is the best way to find out if you are losing or making money.

Put a portion of your income into savings. This will help keep you from spending all of it. I have a dual checking/savings account, so I only use the money in the checking portion. Anything in my savings account goes untouched.

Be honest with others. As a guy with a girlfriend, I know that it’s tough. Between dinner and gas, I spent $70 last night. So, don’t always spend money. Find creative ways to make everyone happy without going broke. If your friends want to go somewhere, be real with them. You can’t afford that trip.

Don’t borrow money. Just don’t. It’s a bad idea, so don’t do it. More than likely, it will become habitual and then you will just owe a lot of money. If I need money, I make it or I don’t have it. But I don’t borrow.

Being a teenager means being short on cash. I know this can be tough, but there are creative ways around it that will help you out a lot.